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Tuesday, February 05, 2013

For those few left in this state who will admit to voting for Rick Scott, one justification was "yeah, he's a crook, but at least he's got bizzzzness savvy".

Let me dissuade you of any remaining hint of competence.

I give you Rick Scott, who along with his "Enterprise Florida", paid $205,000 for a new logo/brand to lure companies to the Sunshine State.

TA-DA!!

Rick Scott then proceeded to spend $380,000 on an advertising blitz to promote this piece of $*&+.

Yet besides the obvious question of "Why the hell did this cost so damn much", there were other, bigger problems with the logo.

Namely that the logo's super clever orange necktie isn't exactly appealing to women executives. This is particularly offensive since Florida ranks 4th in the nation for woman-owned businesses and outpaces the national average by nearly 50 percent.

More than one columnist has suggested adding to the tagline: "Florida is the perfect climate for business... if you're a man.

The chief marketing officer for Enterprise Florida vigorously defended this logo, saying "the agency would never intentionally do anything to set out to offend women."

(I'm no marketing guru like these guys, but I'm pretty sure if a rollout of a campaign has to include the words "would never intentionally do anything to offend"--is probably an indication it wasn't the best choice.)

OH.. and this being the Scott administration, you know this gets a lot worse.

Despite a mission to "facilitate job growth for Florida’s businesses and citizens," Enterprise Florida paid Nashville, Tennessee firm North Star Destination Strategies $205,000...The only bid from out of state

You read that right. A woman-owned business, right here in Florida, lost out to a Tennessee company which significantly overbid them.

But to be fair, if you really want a sexist logo, you never let dames do it.

Despite being offensive to local businesses and women, what's even worse is that it just plain sux. Don't take my word: the former global brand designer for Procter & Gamble said it isn't even effective:

"A generic brand statement as a tagline is a throw away, particularly when it is a blatant overstatement. In my opinion, 'The Perfect Climate For Business' provides no relevant point of difference for CEOs to associate with Florida," he wrote. "Positioning Florida as the perfect business climate is puffery."

Plus, it's just plain outdated in an age when many businesses — particularly in steamy Florida — are "rejecting ties as required dress code," he wrote.

Rick Scott and Enterprise Florida may be fine with it despite the blowback, but at least the good ole boys at the firm got the message and decided to include some women in their release of the video.

And by women, I mean in the background. Sometimes. And just their legs.... (look. real. hard.)

After his infamous meltdown on election night, you'd think Rove would have the good sense to lay low. But no, I present his latest failure scheme: The Conservative Victory Project!

The effort would put a new twist on the Republican-vs.-Republican warfare that has consumed the party’s primary races in recent years. In effect, the establishment is taking steps to fight back against Tea Party groups and other conservative organizations that have wielded significant influence in backing candidates who ultimately lost seats to Democrats in the general election....

The Conservative Victory Project, which is backed by Karl Rove and his allies who built American Crossroads into the largest Republican super PAC of the 2012 election cycle, will start by intensely vetting prospective contenders for Congressional races to try to weed out candidates who are seen as too flawed to win general elections.

Ohhhh. The Tea Party seemed like such a good idea back in 2010. Beck, Palin and other charismatic idiots stoked the flames... scary black man, brown people wanting dignity, socialism, gubmit comin' to take my guns, illegitimate birthdays, et al. Oh, how they hated Obama. Failed right-wing radicals combined with paranoid gun nuts and racist hate groups to form the NEW conservative and the NEW proud face of the GOP: the Tea Party patriot.

Republicans not only loved this idea, they bankrolled it. Hell, up until last October Karl Rove, the Koch brothers, and hate groups like the Family Research Council all banded together with the Teabaggers to fight Obama and his Democratic hordes.

The Tea Party allowed the GOP to pander to the lowest common denominators: racism, bigotry, paranoia and hate--but without sullying the Establishment GOP. It was perfectly OK if Beck said Obama hates "white culture", but you didn't hear Boehner or Cantor saying that.. it was just implied. The Tea Party outright called Obama a Kenyan , but asshats like Boehner and Cantor would just say they "take him at his word". (wink, wink.)

The GOP establishment had their useful idiots, and the right wing media conmen who stoked their hate raked in millions. It was win - win.

Until it wasn't.

Hate and bigotry are the devil's tools. The GOP in their lust for power played with those... but there is a problem in selling out your soul for short-term power.

The Tea Party has taken on a life of its own. They don't just hate Democrats anymore, they hate Establishment Republicans with just as much fervor. Anyone who is not "pure" of hate heart gets primaried, and either:

1. Goes down in defeat for what should have been a GOP victory, and/or,

Enter Karl Rove. The so-called "genius". His solution? What else. More money...

The biggest donors in the Republican Party are financing [this] new group...

Yes. Another SuperPAC conning Republican donors out of their money. Because that worked so well three months ago.

Tons of crappy attack ads won't work. (And if Karl is running things, you know they are crap.) Who are you running them for? Your base? I thought Karl was the one always talking about energizing the base. How is it going to work with him now attacking the base?

I don't now how this is going to play out, but its not going to be pretty. And for once, just once, I am glad to be of the party that is not the hot mess.